The best things to do when visiting Istanbul, from exploring museums to cruising the Bosphorus

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The Hagia Sophia is one of the most important and imposing religious buildings in the world, but it doesn't require faith to admire its splendid architecture and wonderful sense of historyCredit:
JESSE DUROCHER

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More insider guides for planning a trip to Istanbul

Much like a football match, a visitor’s Istanbul is very much a city of two halves. Most come primarily for the 'first half', or the old city, which is wonderfully located on a hilly peninsula pointing across the Bosphorus to Asia. It’s studded with more compelling sights than any city has a right to – not least the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace. Yet the 'second half', or the vibrant entertainment quarter centred on Beyoğlu, Galata and Karaköy, with its modern art galleries, chic restaurants, bars, clubs and shops galore is just as alluring in its own inimitable way.

Old City

Travel back in time to ancient Byzantium

The attractive late-19th century Archaeology Museum is one of the city’s finest treasures. Trace the long and eventful history of Istanbul exhibit by exhibit; marvel at the Side sarcophagus with its beautifully carved reliefs depicting Alexander the Great in battle; see the world’s earliest peace treaty, Kadesh, dating back to 1259 BC; and treasures from the 'legendary' city of Troy.

Insider’s tip: It’s easy to run out of steam in the labyrinthine galleries of the imposing neo-classical main building so save some energy for the Tiled Pavilion; once a royal gallery for the sultan’s court to watch wrestling matches, it’s now home to a splendid tile collection.

Bask in the splendour of a world-famous mosque

The Hagia Sophia (Church of the Holy Wisdom) is one of the most important and imposing religious buildings in the world. Constructed in the sixth century, its massive domed basilica was to provide the blueprint for countless Ottoman-era mosques. Glittering with gold mosaics and richly endowed with porphyry columns and marble panelling, this, the ultimate Byzantine building, became Istanbul’s centre of Islamic worship after the Ottoman conquest of 1453.

Insider’s tip: Don’t forget to head up the ramp to the upper galleries to view the beautiful figurative mosaic panel depicting Mary and John the Baptist beseeching Christ on Judgement Day. The marble balustrade opposite has some intriguing Viking runic graffiti scratched into it by a Varangian guardsman.

Marvel at the beauty of Ottoman architecture

Facing the Hagia Sophia across an attractive park, the Blue Mosque is every westerner’s idea of what a mosque looks like. Built in 1609, from the outside it is all domes and half-domes, framed by six splendidly spindly minarets. The interior gleams with over 20,000 of the famous blue on white Iznik tiles from which the site's unofficial name (it’s really the Sultanahmet Mosque) derives.

Insider’s tip: Remember that this is a holy place and receives millions of Muslim worshippers annually. Treat it as a place of sanctity rather than a 'must-see sight' and you will gain the respect of its congregants. Observe the dress code, speak quietly and use cameras with discretion.

Muse on centuries-old biblical mosaics

Formerly the Church of St Saviour in Chora, the modestly-proportioned Kariye Museum is just as impressive as the much larger Hagia Sophia. Situated out by the ancient city’s monumental Walls of Theodosius, it boasts a stunning collection of late-Byzantine mosaic panels depicting biblical stories in graphic novel fashion, as well as sublime frescoes that influenced Renaissance painters such as Giotto.

Insider’s tip: Walk a few minutes north (uphill) to the well-preserved Walls of Theodosius, turn right and follow the ancient stonework for half an hour or so to the banks of Golden Horn, before taking a ferry from Ayvansaray pier down this fascinating waterway to the city centre.

Explore the legacy of a sultan

The beautifully restored Suleymaniye mosque complex is the masterpiece of the finest Ottoman architect, Sinan, bequeathed to the imperial capital by the mightiest sultan, Süleyman the Magnificent. Imposingly located on the old city’s third hill, with sublime views across the Golden Horn from its terrace, the complex comprises a caravanserai (a roadside inn), library, hospice, bath house and theological schools, as well as a mosque.

Insider’s tip: Easily missed in the northwest corner of the complex is the simple tomb of the doyenne of Ottoman architecture Sinan, who was so proud of the Suleymaniye that he had himself interred here, on a plot that was once his family home.

Find the heart of a fallen empire

A wonderfully eclectic series of buildings set around pretty garden courtyards, the Topkapı Palace was the seat of government of the powerful Ottoman Empire and home to sultans, concubines, eunuchs and slaves. There are exhibits galore, too, from the famous Topkapı Dagger to a tooth of the prophet Mohamed. It’s a warren of a place, so allow at least a half day to visit.

Insider's tip: The fascinating harem section has an extra admission fee, which is not all bad news, as its elaborately tiled corridors and prettily appointed apartments are, as a consequence, often free of the crowds swarming through the main palace.

For centuries the Topkapı Palace was main residence of Ottoman sultans before it became a museum in 1924Credit:
WENDY CONNETT

Beyoğlu, Galata and Karaköy

Browse cool and contemporary art on the Bosphorus

Istanbul Modern showcases the best in international and domestic art. This former warehouse right on the waterfront in Tophane may lack the grandeur of Tate Modern, but the views east across the ship-strewn Bosphorus to Asia, and south over the mouth of the Golden Horn to the domes and minarets of the old city, outclass those from its London rival.

Insider’s tip: The café-restaurant here serves extremely good international-Turkish cuisine. It’s open daily from 10am until midnight too, so you can catch the last couple of opening hours in the gallery before winding down with a meal – and those exhilarating Bosphorus views.

Note: Due to ongoing works on the new Galata Port facility, Istanbul Modern has been temporarily relocated to an historic 19th-century building at Meşrutiyet Caddesi 99, Beyoğlu. The museum is set to move back to its original location in summer 2020.

Visit the city's most novel museum

Opinion is divided as to the merits of the Museum of Innocence, established by Turkey’s first Nobel Prize-winner, author and Istanbulite Orhan Pamuk in homage to his book of the same name. Exhibits include the butts of over 4,000 cigarettes smoked by the protagonist, and lots of ephemera from the period the story took place (mid-70s to mid-80s).

Insider’s tip: A moving tale of obsessive love or an overlong study in pretentiousness? You’ll have to visit to find out, and if you’ve read the novel first then so much the better. Take along a copy of the 560-page-long book, first published in 2008, to gain free entry.

Bosphorus

Sail the night boat to Asia (and back)

The cheap as chips sunset cruise up the Bosphorus from Eminönü to the Asian shore village of Anadolu Kavağı, close to where the Bosphorus meets the Black Sea, is an Istanbul institution. Watch the sunset over Europe on the way up, the lights twinkling in Europe and Asia on the return, as well as enjoying a fish dinner in peaceful Anadolu Kavağı.

Insider’s tip: The boat can get packed, especially on weekend evenings. Go early the morning of your departure to get tickets from the quayside in Eminönü, and start queuing at least an hour before departure to get a decent seat on the ferry.

Other

Don’t just eat, cook

With its beguiling synthesis of Balkan, Middle Eastern and Central Asian cuisines, cosmopolitan Istanbul is fortunate in having one of the world’s great kitchens. Turkish Flavours organises cookery courses for novice visitors, assorted themed walks in the best 'foodie' areas (shopping in bazaars and trying the tastiest street foods) as well as evening tasting events in lively meyhanes (taverns).

Insider’s tip: Your eating experience doesn't finish with the end of the course or tour – your instructor or guide will recommend the best places to eat in the city, and the finest outlets to do your food shopping.